“Thoughts on McLaren, Honda and success”

After the brief winter break, Formula One teams began unveiling their 2015 machines last week. However unlike last year, when a brand new set of technical regulations made sure attentions were focused with each new machine, this year’s cars – with their technical evolutions, as opposed to revolutions – have commanded fewer column inches or digital space.

“Remembering Roland Ratzenberger”

When Roland Ratzenberger crashed brutally during qualifying for the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, Formula One was forced to face mortality for the first time in eight years, but the death the following day of Ayrton Senna cast a shadow over Ratzenberger’s tragedy. Twenty years on, Ratzenberger’s memory breathes, as does his legacy. Leigh O’Gorman spoke to the drivers who raced against and knew him, as they remember Roland Ratzenberger – Formula One’s forgotten man.

“Maria de Villota, X-Games, motorsport safety and Hendrik Vieth”

News regarding injuries suffered by F1 reserve driver Maria de Villota, filtered through yesterday afternoon and sadly, it is not good. De Villota's accident follows on from serious incidents with Toomas Heikkinen and Marcus Gronholm. Also condolences to the family of Hendrik Vieth who died in a motorbike accident yesterday.

Reflections: “Prost from the Brink – 1982 South African Grand Prix (Rd 1)”

Formula 1 loves controversy; it feeds off of it. Without the public displays of placated aggravation and sugar-coated cat calling, Formula 1 would probably fall from the public eye. At the start of 1982, Formula 1 got it very, very wrong.

“The Shy Champion: Phil Hill”

As the 1961 season drew to a close, Ferrari's Wolfgang von Trips was leading team mate Phil Hill and only needed a podium to claim the crown. In the end, death betrayed the German – with von Trips dead in the circuit’s medical unit and Sir Stirling Moss eleven points adrift; Hill became the first American World Champion with one race to spare.

The Economy’s of Attraction

Economies do strange things to motor racing. During the boom times, you will no doubt see manufacturers throw hundreds of million of Pounds/Euro/Dollars at a team in a bid for success and during the crashes, you often witness the large companies run for cover as plucky privateers with bigger ideas than budgets make the best … Continue reading The Economy’s of Attraction